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Automated Manufacturing Center

The primary purpose of this laboratory is undergraduate education for integrated manufacturing. This nationally recognized, 2,400-square-foot facility is divided into four functional areas: a 17-workstation computer laboratory; a 1,100-square-foot integrated manufacturing system; a 400-square-foot research-area and a moderate-size offline learning/development area for industrial controls. All areas are equipped with the latest in manufacturing software and hardware technologies to support a fully functional state-of-the-practice manufacturing facility.

This laboratory provides students with exposure to and experience on industrial-grade, advanced manufacturing automation technologies equipment, and it gives MFET and MET students a solid foundation in automated manufacturing. Students gain valuable skills and abilities to:

Past Research projects:

Proof of concept project for use of wireless sensing – Northrop Grumman

Proof of concept work for use of an active RFID system to track products – Ingersoll Rand

Development of an Asset Eco‐system – Northrop Grumman

Development of a CAD user interface to allow users with little to no CAD skills to customize a CAD design.

Key equipment:

Industrial robots

Programmable logic controllers

CNC machine tools

Auto ID equipment

Numerous sensing devices

Several types of controls networks

PCs

Funding and support:

Most support for this laboratory has been through cost share contributions, substantially discounted and leveraged products and in‐kind gifts. Corporate support over the years has included GM, Ford, SMC, Fanuc, Phoenix Contacts, Northrop Grumman, and Rockwell Automation.